Fried Green Tomatoes With Peach Salsa and Goat Cheese

                       

I had never had Fried Green Tomatoes until we moved to Virginia.  They don't taste like tomatoes.  There is a citrusy flavor to them.  And they are crisp, not soft like a tomato.  I made them shortly after trying them in a restaurant and one of the tomatoes was just on the verge of turning.  Part of it had a faint orange cast.  That tomato was mushy and not good.  So when they say green, it means REALLY green.

I have never seen a green tomato in any of the local grocery stores, so I guess you have to get them in a restaurant or grow your own.  We have a garden and this morning I picked a few green tomatoes.  They should be huge and green for the dish, but they were lumpy and different sizes.  That's OK.  They will still taste good and that is all that I had to choose from.



Peach Salsa

2 ripe peaches. peeled and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
you may want to use jalapeno peppers.  I don't, too hot for me.  If you like them add one seeded and diced
I used 3 large leaves of basil, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar.  I had red wine vinegar and it worked fine

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

                      

Fried Green Tomatoes

8 thick slices green tomato
salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour, divided
1 cup corn meal
2 eggs beaten with 2 Tablespoons water
Vegetable Oil

Drain the tomato slices on a paper towel while you gather all the other ingredients.  Sprinkle them  with salt and pepper.

                           

Mix 1/4 cup of flour with the cornmeal in a shallow bowl.  Add s & p and stir to mix.  Put the remaining flour in another shallow bowl.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet.  I used cast iron.

                            

Dip a slice of tomato in the flour and shake off the excess.  Then dip it in the egg mixture and into the cornmeal.  Make sure both sides are coated then gently place in the oil.  Do this to all the slices but do not crowd the pan.  You may need to do another batch.  Your fingers will get goopy, but keep going so that the tomaotes will all be in the pan close to the same time.

                             

Fry until they turn brown and then turn over to brown the other side.  This takes about 4 minutes in total.  When done remove them to a plate with paper towels to absorb some of the oil.

                              

Serve warm with peach salsa and goat cheese.  This was our entree, and we ate everything ourselves, but this would be a great appetizer for four people.

I really wanted to try Fried Green Tomatoes with goat cheese.  Goat cheese has a uniquely piquant flavor that I thought would pair well with the sweetness of the peach salsa.  Goat cheese comes in a small log.  Open one end of the packaging and holding it over the tomatoes, scrape at it with a fork.  This will crumble it nicely and then it will be right where you want it.  The warm tomatoes will start to melt the cheese and it will be all creamy and delicious.